By Ryan Thompson
Oxford Playhouse is celebrating its 80th anniversary with an exciting collection of shows, running from August 2018 to January 2019.
Autumn sees the Playhouse celebrate its 80th anniversary year with a bumper season of shows and events, including four thrilling co-productions, an all-star Gala performance and free tickets for anyone born in 1938!
The 80th season co-productions are:
These co-productions herald a renewed commitment to create ground-breaking new theatre, with the Playhouse hoping to commission and co-produce three productions every year, and ensure Oxford audiences get to see the very best.
Alongside these co-productions, the autumn also brings some of the finest touring theatre to Oxford. Duet for One; Tom Kempinski’s multi award-winning play based on the life of Oxford’s own Jacqueline du Pré, comes to the Playhouse in August. Ian Hislop and Nick Newman’s hilarious 5-star hit The Wipers Times is back by popular demand in September, after a sell-out run at the Playhouse and in the West End last year. Lee Hall’s West End stage adaptation of the Oscar-winning film Shakespeare in Love is also making its way to the Playhouse for an exuberant, witty and funny Elizabethan extravaganza. Alan Bennett’s celebrated writing has always been an OP favourite, and the theatre is also pleased to welcome back Matthew Kelly in a new production of Bennett’s smash hit play, The Habit of Art.
In addition to very best drama, autumn 2018 sees the Playhouse expand its comedy offering, with big name comedians including Sara Pascoe, Marcus Bridgstocke, Iain Stirling and David O’Doherty bringing their solo shows to the main stage.
For those wanting to try something a little different, SHIFT; the latest jaw-dropping show from esteemed contemporary circus company Barely Methodical Troupe, and 8 Minutes; dancer and choreographer Alexander Whitley’s cosmic collaboration between science and dance, are must-sees. There’s also a musical treat with Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story; a humorously dark folktale woven together with a high-energy concert starring Ben Caplan.
No Christmas is complete without the Playhouse’s annual family Christmas pantomime - this year it’s Dick Whittington and his Cat. It’s going to be a Whitting-tonne of fun packed with sensational songs, dazzling dance moves and jokes aplenty. For the little ones, there’s the Playhouse’s charming co-production of Alby the Penguin Saves Christmas in the Burton Taylor studio. An enchanting story full of music and puppetry, it’s an ideal introduction to theatre.
Combat those January blues in mischievous fashion, as the Playhouse welcomes back Mischief Theatre with their smash-and-grab-hit, The Comedy About a Bank Robbery, following their success in Oxford with The Play That Goes Wrong and Mischief Movie Night. This dynamite new comedy is guaranteed to deliver swag loads of laughter, and is the perfect post-Christmas treat.
In what will be a highlight of the Birthday celebrations, many of the gifted artists who have appeared at the Playhouse over the years will be celebrating the Playhouse’s actual birthday on Sunday 21 October 2018 at an 80th Anniversary Gala Performance. Award-winning Oxford-Based film producer Victor Glynn will be directing the show, with stars such as Christopher Biggins, Sinead Cusack, Patricia Hodge, Jeremy Irons, Freddie Jones, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Florence Pugh and David Tennant already lining up to appear, and many more to be announced. This stellar evening is presented in association with the Macdonald Randolph Hotel, who will host a star-studded after party on the night.
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For further information visit their website at: www.oxfordplayhouse.com
